Hustler FasTrak 48 zero-turn mower is a commercial-grade machine at a great price, and a great option for professionals with a heavy workload.
Hustler lays claim to the first commercially produced zero-turn mower, and says the current range, including the FasTrak 48, clearly shows the benefit of those many decades of research and development.
Looking at the FasTrak glistening in the faint sunlight struggling through the light rain on our test site, we couldn’t argue. Both the mower itself and the spec sheet look impressive.
Tight fit
The first thing to catch our attention on this particular Hustler was just how compact it looked. A 48” cut meant it seemed a little on the small side compared to some of the bigcut heavyweights we’d been drooling over – there’s a 60” deck available for this model, by the way – but the compact size of the machine has some very useful advantages, not least of which is it fitting on a 7’ x 5’ trailer. That makes transport easy and inexpensive, and that few centimetres of extra clearance is a gift for those who need to squeeze through confined spaces between sheds, structures and boundary fences. It also makes a surprising difference to how much less room it seems to take up in the shed.
The next thing to catch our attention was the comfort level. We leapt into the seat, grabbed the handles, and started making revving noises as we imagined ourselves scooting along at top speed along a well-kept golf course fairway. The ROPS would look after us if things got a little wayward, we were sure, and it only took a few seconds for the adjustable, high-back suspension seat – with a very plush cushion for the driver’s back – to have us feeling we might not need to go top speed all the time. Dropping our elbows on the extra-comfy armrests sealed the deal.
Long days on the Hustler FasTrak 48 shouldn’t cause any ergo or comfort problems for a hardworking driver as far as we could tell.
Then our test driver, Craig Williams, owner of Gardeners That Care, kicked us off so he could ‘get some work done’.
Pro standard
The comfort and look of the FasTrak 48 are backed up with some serious performance.
An air-cooled FT691V 726cc Kawasaki engine delivers 22hp, driving commercialgrade Dual Hydro Gear transmissions, and the deck is 10-gauge fabricated steel. The rollover protection bar we’d already noticed would make for a high degree of safety on inclines or uneven terrain, and the whole thing is backed by a four-year, 750-hour, commercial-use warranty.
According to the info supplied with the Hustler it will cut 3.1 acres per hour. What’s not to like about those figures? And the best figure of all is the purchase price: a razor-sharp $16,299.
Hard at work
With Craig in charge things became very serious very quickly.
For starters the weather was entirely unsuitable. The test site was wet when we arrived, and intermittent rain during the review made things consistently challenging.
In spite of that, the FasTrak worked with amazing speed. It was not only fast over the ground, but the heavy, wet grass was left looking neat and manicured.
Our impression as onlookers was confirmed when Craig hurled his 6’4” frame off the seat and started throwing open inspection hatches and lifting the seat.
“This is a quick and efficient machine,” he told us. “It’s really comfortable too, even for a bloke of my height. The adjustment of the suspension seat is really good, and that’s a beautiful cut.”
There was also a surprising amount of room in and around the engine bay and under the seat. Access to the battery and around the motor is really good. Maintenance and clearing debris should cause minimal fuss. An excellent option From our time with the Hustler FasTrak 48 zero-turn we’re confident it’s a unit that should suit professional contractors and property-maintenance businesses. It works fast, cuts clean, wasn’t excessively loud and was very comfortable for the operator. If it all sounds like a well-thought-out zeroturn, it’s because we believe it is.
An excellent option
From our time with the Hustler FasTrak 48 zero-turn we’re confident it’s a unit that should suit professional contractors and property-maintenance businesses. It works fast, cuts clean, wasn’t excessively loud and was very comfortable for the operator. If it all sounds like a well-thought-out zeroturn, it’s because we believe it is.
Hustler FasTrak 48
Deck: 48”, 10-gauge fabricated
Blades and PTO: Three blades with electric PTO blade engagement
Spindles: Aluminium with 11-gauge spindle mounts, 1” shaft and double lip-sealed ball bearings
Cutting height and adjustment: 1.5” – 4.5” cutting range with foot-assisted deck-height adjustment
Optional extras: Mulch kit. Catcher kit
Ground Speed: 16kph
Acres per hour: 3.1 (based on 80 per cent efficiency)
Fuel-tank capacity: 32 litres
Slope capability: 15 degrees
Engine: 22HP, air-cooled, 726cc Kawasaki FT691V
Engine Warranty: Three years
Transmission: Dual hydro gear ZT3200
Country of manufacture: US
Chassis: 1.5” x 3” welded tubular steel
Roll Over Protection: Standard bar
Rear tyres: 23” x 9.5”
Front tyres: 13” x 6.5”
Seat: High-back suspension with armrests
Park Brake: Automatic
Maintenance access: Open-rear
Tow Hitch: Optional
Minimum trailer size: 5’x7’
Length: 1948 mm
Width (chute up): 1270mm
Height (ROPS up/down): 1745mm/1156mm
Weight: 413 kg
Warranty (commercial and domestic): Four-year/750-hour
See the entire hustler range of mowers at hustlermowers.com.au.
